Unpowered irrigation controller for smallholders
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network for Measured Irrigation
Unpowered irrigation controller for smallholders
Background: This briefing note was prepared by Ross Gwyther, a lifelong friend of Bernie Omodei
- One of the significant problems for farmers in remote regions is the cost, complexity and
- maintenance needs of commercial irrigation systems.
- This briefing note is to announce the launch of a new system for controlling irrigation in small
- farming plots. It is an Unpowered Irrigation Controller (UIC) which requires no electric power to
- operate, has total component cost of approximately $US47, with readily available components, and
- minimal maintenance needs.
- The UIC has been developed over the past 10 years, following extensive field trials, by Dr Bernie
- Omodei in Adelaide, SA. Dr Omodei has a background in Physics and Mathematics, university
- teaching and research, and spent many years working in community organisations (such as
- Community Aid Abroad and Oxfam). His involvement with third world communities led him to
- experiment with simple irrigation systems that are low cost, use only basic easily obtainable
- components and that provide automated sprinkler or drip irrigation of crops.
- As a result of this research, Dr Omodei has refined the design of the UIC to a commercial
- standard.The UIC has similar performance characteristics to commercial irrigation systems with
- typical prices of $US200 or more.The UIC design has been offered to major irrigation companies,
- however the very low cost and low maintenance requirements preclude these companies from
- investing because of the small profit margins available.
- The UIC is based on physics principles of direct and automated measurement of evaporation and
- rainfall, and irrigation control based on this measurement
- Enquiries are welcome:
- Executive Director: Dr Bernie Omodei
- Email bomodei@measuredirrigation.com.au
- Website www.measuredirrigation.com.au
- Phone +61403 935 277
Unpowered Irrigation Controller
- Technical Specifications for Unpowered Irrigation Controller (UIC)
- Unpowered (no batteries, no electronics, no computers, and no WiFi)
- Water supply pressure 10 kPa to 800 kPa
- Use for sprinkler irrigation or drip irrigation
- Use for gravity feed or pressurised irrigation
- Can deliver water to at least 400 2 L/H drippers
- Adjust the water usage rate by adjusting the control dripper
- Adjust the interval between irrigation events by adjusting the float
- Responds automatically to on-site evaporation and rainfall
- The irrigation frequency increases significantly during a heat wave
- Irrigate directly from a rainwater tank without using a pump
- Water in the terracotta pot is protected from debris, algae, mosquitoes and thirsty animals
- Simple, unpowered, and low tech, and therefore fewer things can go wrong
- Leave your irrigation application unattended for months on end
- OPERATIONAL DETAILS
- Installation of the Unpowered Irrigation Controller
- Position the Unpowered Irrigation Controller in a suitable location in your garden so that the
- evaporation matches the evaporation at your plants.
- Connect the water supply to the valve inlet and connect the irrigation application to the valve outlet.
- Place the terracotta saucer on the terracotta pot so that the control dripper drips water into the pot
- via the small holes in the saucer. The control dripper should be at the same level as the irrigation
- drippers in your application.
- How to use the Unpowered Irrigation Controller
- Turn on the water supply and the irrigation should start immediately. The control dripper drips water
- into the terracotta pot during the irrigation. The irrigation stops automatically when the water level
- reaches the high level. The irrigation starts again automatically after the water level reaches the low
- level.
- If it rains, rainwater collects in the saucer and drains into the pot. This means that the start of the
- next irrigation event is delayed. In addition to the control volume of water that needs to seep through
- the pot between irrigation events, any rainwater that has entered the pot between irrigation events
- also needs to seep through the pot.
- How to adjust the interval between irrigation events
- You can adjust the interval between irrigation events by adjusting the gap between the upper and
- lower float.
- You can start the irrigation at any time by pushing the float down. You can stop the irrigation at any
- time by lifting the float up.
- How to adjust the water usage rate
- If your plants are not getting enough water, reduce the flow rate of the control dripper. Reducing the
- flow rate of the control dripper increases the duration of the irrigation event and so your plants get
- more water. If your plants are getting too much water, increase the flow rate of the control dripper.
- You may wish to position an empty measuring container under one of the drippers so that water
- drips into the container during the irrigation event. The amount of water in the container is the
- amount of water discharged by each irrigation dripper during the irrigation event.
The User Manual for the Unpowered Irrigation Controller is attached.
- Dr Bernie Omodei
- Measured Irrigation
- Unit 5, 50 Harvey Street East, Woodville Park SA 5011
- Mobile 0403 935277
- www.measuredirrigation.com.au
Media
Taxonomy
- Irrigation
- Micro Irrigation
- Micro Irrigation
- Precision irrigation